Communication method, communication system and communication device

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention provides a communication method, a communication system and a communication device, and relates to the field of communication. In the method, a measurement result of network performance of an NTN cell in a sub-region can be obtained, and the sub-region is a part of a region covered by the NTN cell; and then configuring the TN corresponding to the sub-region based on the measurement result, such as configuring the TN or adjusting / optimizing the configured TN. According to the method provided by the embodiment of the invention, the TN corresponding to the sub-region can be managed according to the network performance of the NTN cell in the sub-region. According to the embodiment of the invention, the coverage range of the sub-region is smaller than the coverage range of the NTN cell, so that the network performance of the region with the smaller coverage range can be better reflected. Therefore, the TN corresponding to the sub-region can be configured more accurately by adopting the measurement result of the sub-region, the input and output of an operator are improved, and meanwhile, measurement resources and time can be saved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of communications, and in particular to a communication method, a communication system and a communication device. Background Art

[0002] A non-terrestrial network (NTN) refers to a network or network segment that uses radio frequency resources in a satellite or unmanned aircraft system (UAS) platform. Considering the economy and survivability, NTN can be deployed in remote areas with few people. However, as the number of users and demand increases, NTN is limited by its weak capabilities and cannot provide low-latency, high-traffic services. Therefore, operators are also considering deploying a terrestrial network (TN) on the basis of NTN, that is, the current ground cellular communication, and subsequent TN and NTN can work together. How to manage TN based on the situation of NTN is a problem that needs to be solved. Summary of the invention

[0003] The present application provides a communication method, a communication system and a communication device, which can manage TN according to the network performance of NTN cells in sub-areas.

[0004] In a first aspect, a method is provided, the method comprising: obtaining a measurement result of a network performance of an NTN cell in a sub-area, the sub-area being a part of an area covered by the NTN cell; and configuring a TN corresponding to the sub-area based on the measurement result.

[0005] Exemplarily, the TN corresponding to the sub-area refers to: a TN that has covered or will cover the sub-area; or a TN that has covered or will cover an area with the same or similar geographical environment as the sub-area.

[0006] Exemplarily, the measurement result includes one or more of the following: data packet delay, terminal data throughput, number of radio resource control (RRC) connections, or radio resource usage.

[0007] The method provided in the embodiment of the present application can manage the TN corresponding to the sub-area according to the network performance of the NTN cell in the sub-area. Since the coverage of the sub-area in the embodiment of the present application is smaller than the coverage of the NTN cell, it can better reflect the network performance of the area with a smaller range. Therefore, the measurement results of the sub-area can more accurately configure the TN corresponding to the sub-area, improve the input-output of the operator, and also save measurement resources and time.

[0008] In a possible implementation manner, obtaining a measurement result of a network performance of an NTN cell in a sub-area includes: a first management unit measures the network performance of the sub-area to obtain the measurement result.

[0009] Exemplarily, the first management unit may be an equipment management system (EMS) for managing the NTN.

[0010] In a possible implementation manner, obtaining a measurement result of a network performance of an NTN cell in a sub-area further includes: the second management unit receiving the measurement result from the first management unit.

[0011] Exemplarily, the second management unit may be a network management system (NMS).

[0012] In one possible implementation, based on the measurement result, the TN corresponding to the sub-area is configured, including: the second management unit determines policy information based on the measurement result, and the policy information is used to configure the TN; the second management unit sends the policy information to the third management unit; the third management unit configures the TN based on the policy information.

[0013] Based on this solution, the second management unit may determine the policy information for configuring the TN based on the measurement result, and then send the policy information to the third management unit, and the third management unit configures the TN based on the policy information.

[0014] In a possible implementation, obtaining the measurement result of the network performance of the NTN cell in the sub-area also includes: a third management unit receiving the measurement result from the second management unit; wherein, based on the measurement result, configuring the TN corresponding to the sub-area includes: the third management unit configuring the TN based on the measurement result.

[0015] Based on this solution, by placing the decision-making power of configuring TN on the third management unit side, the third management unit can configure TN according to its own situation and the received information. This solution can obtain a better strategy for configuring TN while reducing the workload of the second management unit.

[0016] In a possible implementation, before obtaining the measurement result of the network performance of the NTN cell in the sub-area, the method further includes: obtaining a measurement request, where the measurement request is used to request to perform network performance measurement with the sub-area as a measurement range.

[0017] Exemplarily, obtaining the measurement request includes: the first management unit receives the measurement request from the second management unit.

[0018] For example, the request information may include identification information or area information of the sub-area. For example, the area information may be geographical location information, such as longitude and latitude information.

[0019] In a possible implementation manner, the method further includes: acquiring a mapping relationship between the identification information of the sub-region and the region information of the sub-region.

[0020] Exemplarily, obtaining a mapping relationship between the identification information of the sub-region and the region information of the sub-region includes: a second management unit receiving the mapping relationship from a first management unit.

[0021] Based on this solution, the second management unit can determine the area information of the sub-area according to the mapping relationship.

[0022] In the second aspect, a communication method is provided, which can be executed by a first management unit, or by a component of the first management unit (such as a processor, a chip, or a chip system, etc.), or by a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the first management unit.

[0023] The method comprises: measuring the network performance of the NTN cell in a sub-area to obtain a measurement result, wherein the sub-area is a part of the area covered by the NTN cell; and sending the measurement result.

[0024] Exemplarily, the measurement result includes one or more of the following: data packet delay, terminal data throughput, number of RRC connections, or wireless resource usage.

[0025] In the method provided in the embodiment of the present application, the first management unit can obtain the measurement result of measuring the network performance of the NTN cell in the sub-area, and can send the measurement result to the second management unit, so that the second management unit can manage the TN corresponding to the sub-area according to the network performance of the NTN cell in the sub-area. Since the coverage of the sub-area in the embodiment of the present application is smaller than the coverage of the NTN cell, it can better reflect the network performance of the area with a smaller range. Therefore, the measurement results of the sub-area can more accurately configure the TN corresponding to the sub-area, improve the input-output of the operator, and also save measurement resources and time.

[0026] In a possible implementation manner, the first management unit is an element management system EMS for managing the NTN to which the NTN cell belongs, and / or the second management unit is a network management system NMS.

[0027] In a possible implementation, before measuring the network performance of the NTN cell in the sub-area, the method further includes: receiving request information, where the request information is used to request to measure the network performance with the sub-area as a measurement range.

[0028] For example, the request information may include identification information or area information of the sub-area. For example, the area information may be geographical location information, such as longitude and latitude information.

[0029] In a possible implementation manner, the request information includes a mapping relationship between the identification information of the sub-region and the region information of the sub-region.

[0030] In a possible implementation manner, the method further includes: sending indication information, where the indication information indicates a mapping relationship between the identification information of the sub-region and the region information of the sub-region.

[0031] Based on this solution, the second management unit can obtain a mapping relationship between the identification information of the sub-region and the region information of the sub-region.

[0032] On the third aspect, a communication method is provided, which can be executed by a second management unit, or by a component of the second management unit (such as a processor, chip, or chip system, etc.), or by a logic module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the second management unit.

[0033] The method includes: receiving a measurement result of a network performance of an NTN cell in a sub-area, where the sub-area is a part of an area covered by the NTN cell; determining policy information based on the measurement result, and sending the policy information, where the policy information is used to configure a TN corresponding to the sub-area; or, sending the measurement result, where the measurement result is used by a third management unit to configure the TN corresponding to the sub-area.

[0034] Exemplarily, the TN corresponding to the sub-area refers to: a TN that has covered or will cover the sub-area; or a TN that has covered or will cover an area with the same or similar geographical environment as the sub-area.

[0035] Exemplarily, the measurement result includes one or more of the following: data packet delay, terminal data throughput, number of RRC connections, or wireless resource usage.

[0036] The method provided in the embodiment of the present application can manage the TN corresponding to the sub-area according to the network performance of the NTN cell in the sub-area. Since the coverage of the sub-area in the embodiment of the present application is smaller than the coverage of the NTN cell, it can better reflect the network performance of the area with a smaller range. Therefore, the measurement results of the sub-area can more accurately configure the TN corresponding to the sub-area, improve the input-output of the operator, and also save measurement resources and time.

[0037] In addition, in one embodiment, the method deploys the decision-making power of configuring TN in the third management unit, so that the third management unit can configure TN according to its own situation and received information, thereby reducing the workload of the second management unit and obtaining a better strategy for configuring TN.

[0038] In a possible implementation, before receiving the measurement result of the network performance of the NTN cell in the sub-area, the method further includes: sending request information, where the request information is used to request to perform the network performance measurement with the sub-area as the measurement range.

[0039] For example, the request information may include identification information or area information of the sub-area. For example, the area information may be geographical location information, such as longitude and latitude information.

[0040] In a possible implementation manner, the request information includes a mapping relationship between the identification information of the sub-region and the region information of the sub-region.

[0041] In a possible implementation manner, the method further includes: receiving indication information, for example, receiving the indication information from the first management unit, wherein the indication information indicates a mapping relationship between the identification information of the sub-area and the area information of the sub-area.

[0042] In a possible implementation manner, the method further includes: sending indication information, for example, sending the indication information to a third management unit, wherein the indication information indicates a mapping relationship between the identification information of the sub-area and the area information of the sub-area.

[0043] According to a fourth aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising a module or a unit for executing the method according to the second aspect or any possible implementation manner of the second aspect.

[0044] In a fifth aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising a module or unit for executing the method in the third aspect or any possible implementation manner of the third aspect.

[0045] In a sixth aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising a processor, which, when executing a computer program (also referred to as code, or instruction) or instructions stored in a memory, causes the device to execute the method in the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect.

[0046] In a possible implementation manner, the device also includes the memory.

[0047] In a possible implementation, there are one or more processors and / or one or more memories.

[0048] In a possible implementation, the memory may be integrated with the processor, or the memory may be separately provided with the processor.

[0049] In a possible implementation manner, the device further includes a communication interface, and the processor is coupled to the communication interface.

[0050] In one implementation, the device is a first management unit. Exemplarily, the communication interface may be a transceiver, or an input / output interface.

[0051] In another implementation, the device is a chip in the first management unit. Exemplarily, the communication interface may be an input / output interface.

[0052] In the seventh aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising a processor, which, when executing a computer program or instruction stored in a memory, causes the device to execute the method in the second aspect or any possible implementation of the second aspect, or implement the method in the fourth aspect or any possible implementation of the fourth aspect.

[0053] In a possible implementation manner, the device also includes the memory.

[0054] In a possible implementation, there are one or more processors and / or one or more memories.

[0055] In a possible implementation, the memory may be integrated with the processor, or the memory may be separately provided with the processor.

[0056] In a possible implementation manner, the device further includes a communication interface, and the processor is coupled to the communication interface.

[0057] In one implementation, the device is a second management unit. Exemplarily, the communication interface may be a transceiver, or an input / output interface.

[0058] In another implementation, the device is a chip in the second management unit. Exemplarily, the communication interface may be an input / output interface.

[0059] In an eighth aspect, a processor is provided, comprising: an input circuit, an output circuit, and a processing circuit. The processing circuit is used to receive a signal through the input circuit and transmit a signal through the output circuit, so that the processor executes the method in any one of the above aspects or any possible implementation of any one of the aspects.

[0060] In the specific implementation process, the processor can be a chip, the input circuit can be an input pin, the output circuit can be an output pin, and the processing circuit can be a transistor, a gate circuit, a trigger, and various logic circuits. The input signal received by the input circuit can be, for example, but not limited to, received and input by a receiver, and the signal output by the output circuit can be, for example, but not limited to, output to a transmitter and transmitted by the transmitter, and the input circuit and the output circuit can be the same circuit, which is used as an input circuit and an output circuit at different times. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific implementation methods of the processor and various circuits.

[0061] In the ninth aspect, a communication system is provided, comprising an apparatus for executing the method in the second aspect or any possible implementation of the second aspect and at least one of the apparatuses for executing the method in the third aspect or any possible implementation of the third aspect, or comprising at least one of the communication apparatus provided by the fourth aspect and the communication apparatus provided by the fifth aspect, or comprising at least one of the communication apparatus provided by the sixth aspect and the communication apparatus provided by the seventh aspect.

[0062] In a tenth aspect, a communication system is provided for executing the method in the first aspect or any possible implementation manner of the first aspect.

[0063] In an eleventh aspect, a computer program product is provided, the computer program product comprising: a computer program, when the computer program is executed, enables a computer to execute the method in any one of the above aspects or any possible implementation of any one of the aspects.

[0064] In the twelfth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, which stores a computer program (also referred to as code, or instruction). When the computer program runs on a computer, the computer executes a method in any one of the above aspects or any possible implementation of any one of the aspects.

[0065] In a thirteenth aspect, a chip is provided, comprising a processor for calling and running a computer program from a memory, so that a communication device equipped with the chip executes a method in any one of the above aspects or any possible implementation of any one of the aspects.

[0066] In a fourteenth aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising an interface and a processor, wherein the interface is used to send and / or receive signals, so that the processor executes a method in any one of the above aspects or any possible implementation of any one of the aspects. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0067] Figure 1A This is a schematic diagram of an NTN architecture provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0068] Figure 1B This is a schematic diagram of an NTN architecture provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0069] Figure 1C This is a schematic diagram of an NTN architecture provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0070] Figure 1D This is a schematic diagram of an NTN architecture provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0071] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of a communication system provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0072] Figure 3A is a schematic diagram of a sub-region provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0073] Figure 3B is a schematic diagram of a sub-region provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0074] Figure 4A is a schematic diagram of a sub-region provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0075] Figure 4B is a schematic diagram of a sub-region provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0076] Figure 4C is a schematic diagram of a sub-region provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0077] Figure 5 is a schematic flow chart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0078] Figure 6 is a schematic flow chart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0079] Figure 7 is a schematic flow chart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0080] Figure 8 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0081] Fig. 9 It is a schematic block diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0082] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application.

[0083] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise specified, " / " indicates that the objects associated before and after are in an "or" relationship, for example, A / B can represent A or B; "and / or" in the embodiments of the present application is only a description of the association relationship of the associated objects, indicating that there can be three relationships, for example, A and / or B can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. In addition, in the description of the embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise specified, "multiple" refers to two or more than two. "At least one of the following" or its similar expression refers to any combination of these items, including any combination of single items or plural items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c can represent: a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, or abc, where a, b, c can be single or multiple. In addition, in order to facilitate the clear description of the technical solution of the embodiments of the present application, in the embodiments of the present application, the words "first" and "second" are used to distinguish the same or similar items with basically the same functions and effects. Those skilled in the art can understand that the words "first", "second", etc. do not limit the quantity and execution order, and the words "first", "second", etc. do not necessarily limit the differences.

[0084] In the various method embodiments of the embodiments of the present application, the size of the serial number does not mean the order of execution. The order of execution should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of the present application.

[0085] It is understood that in the embodiments of the present application, "under the circumstances of...", "if...", "when...", "if..." and similar descriptions can be used interchangeably. Moreover, these descriptions all refer to corresponding processing under certain objective circumstances, but do not limit the time, nor do they require judgment actions when being implemented, nor do they mean that there are other limitations.

[0086] It can be understood that some optional features in the embodiments of the present application may be implemented independently in certain scenarios without relying on other features, such as the solution on which they are currently based, to solve corresponding technical problems and achieve corresponding effects, or may be combined with other features according to needs in certain scenarios. Accordingly, the devices provided in the embodiments of the present application may also realize these features or functions accordingly, which will not be elaborated here.

[0087] In the embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise specified, the same or similar parts between the various embodiments can refer to each other. In the various embodiments of the present application, and the various implementation methods / implementation methods / implementation methods in the various embodiments, if there is no special explanation and logical conflict, the terms and / or descriptions between different embodiments and the various implementation methods / implementation methods / implementation methods in the various embodiments are consistent and can be referenced to each other. The technical features in different embodiments and the various implementation methods / implementation methods / implementation methods in the various embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments, implementation methods, implementation methods, or implementation methods according to their inherent logical relationships. The implementation methods of the present application described below do not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of the present application.

[0088] The access network device (radio access network, RAN) involved in the embodiments of the present application is a device that connects a terrestrial access network device, that is, a terminal, to a radio access network. The access network equipment can be implemented in any of the following forms: evolved Node B (eNB or eNodeB) in LTE, base station (gNodeB, gNB) in 5G network, base station in future evolved public land mobile network (PLMN), broadband network gateway (BNG), aggregation switch or non-3GPP access equipment, wireless controller in cloud radio access network (CRAN), transmission and reception point (TRP), or equipment including TRP, base station controller (BSC), base transceiver station (BTS), home base station (such as home evolved Node B, or home Node B), base band unit (BBU), or wireless fidelity (WiFi) access point (AP), integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node, etc.

[0089] In some deployments, the access network equipment includes a distributed unit (DU) and a centralized unit (CU) deployed on the ground. The centralized unit (CU) and the distributed unit (DU) involved in the embodiments of the present application can be understood as the division of the access network equipment from the perspective of logical functions. CU represents the access network equipment connected to the 5G core network (5G core network, 5GC) through the NG interface, and also represents the access network equipment connected to other access network equipment through the Xn interface. In addition, it can also represent the access network equipment to perform dual connection operations through the X2 interface and the eNB (or eNodeB). Among them, the CU and DU can be connected through an interface, for example, it can be an F1 interface. CU and DU can be physically separated or deployed together, and the embodiments of the present application do not make specific limitations on this. CU and DU can be divided according to the protocol layer of the wireless network. For example, the functions of the radio resource control (RRC) protocol layer, the service data adaptation protocol stack (SDAP) protocol layer and the packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) protocol layer are set in the CU, while the functions of the radio link control (RLC) protocol layer, the media access control (MAC) protocol layer, the physical (PHY) protocol layer, etc. are set in the DU.

[0090] It can be understood that the division of CU and DU processing functions according to this protocol layer is only an example, and it can also be divided in other ways. For example, the CU or DU can be divided into functions with more protocol layers. For example, the CU or DU can also be divided into partial processing functions with protocol layers. In one design, some functions of the RLC layer and the functions of the protocol layers above the RLC layer are set in the CU, and the remaining functions of the RLC layer and the functions of the protocol layers below the RLC layer are set in the DU. In another design, the functions of the CU or DU can also be divided according to the service type or other system requirements. For example, according to the delay, the functions whose processing time needs to meet the delay requirements are set in the DU, and the functions that do not need to meet the delay requirements are set in the CU. In another design, the CU may also have one or more functions of the core network. One or more CUs can be set centrally or separately. For example, the CU can be set on the network side for centralized management. The DU can have multiple radio frequency functions, or the radio frequency functions can be set remotely. Furthermore, the functions of CU can be implemented by one entity or by different entities. For example, CU can be composed of CU control plane (CU control plane, CU-CP) and CU user plane (CUuser plane, CU-UP). CU-CP and CU-UP can be understood as the division of CU from the perspective of logical functions. Among them, CU-CP and CU-UP can be divided according to the protocol layer of the wireless network. For example, the functions of the PDCP protocol layer corresponding to the RRC protocol layer and the signaling radio bearer (signal radio bearer, SRB) are set in CU-CP, and the functions of the PDCP protocol layer corresponding to the data radio bearer (data radio bearer, DRB) are set in CU-UP. In addition, the functions of the SDAP protocol layer may also be set in CU-UP.

[0091] The terminal involved in the embodiments of the present application may be a device for realizing a communication function. The terminal may also be referred to as user equipment (UE), terminal equipment, access terminal, user unit, user station, mobile station (MS), remote station, remote terminal, mobile terminal (MT), user terminal, wireless communication equipment, user agent or user device, etc. The terminal may be, for example, a wireless terminal or a wired terminal in IoT, V2X, D2D, M2M, 5G network, or a future evolved public land mobile network (PLMN). A wireless terminal may refer to a device with wireless transceiver functions, which may be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; may also be deployed on water (such as ships, etc.); may also be deployed in the air (such as airplanes, balloons and satellites, etc.).

[0092] Exemplarily, the terminal may be an IoT device (e.g., a sensor, an electric meter, a water meter, etc.), a V2X device, a station (ST) in a wireless local area network (WLAN), a cellular phone, a cordless phone, a session initiation protocol (SIP) phone, a wireless local loop (WLL) station, a personal digital assistant (PDA) device, a handheld device with a wireless communication function, a computing device or other processing device connected to a wireless modem, an in-vehicle device, a wearable device (also referred to as a wearable smart device), a tablet computer or a computer with a wireless transceiver function, a virtual reality (VR) terminal, a wireless terminal in industrial control, a wireless terminal in self driving, a wireless terminal in remote medical, a wireless terminal in a smart grid, a wireless terminal in transportation safety, a wireless terminal in a smart city, a smart home, or a wireless terminal in a smart city. The terminal may be a wireless terminal in a home, a vehicle-mounted terminal, a vehicle with vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication capability, an intelligent connected vehicle, a drone with UAV to UAV (U2U) communication capability, etc. The terminal may be mobile or fixed, and the embodiments of the present application do not specifically limit this.

[0093] The embodiments of the present application relate to a terrestrial network (TN) and a non-terrestrial network (NTN).

[0094] The ground network, i.e., TN, can be an existing or future mobile communication network. For example, TN can be a long term evolution (LTE) network, an advanced long term evolution (LTE-A) network, a new radio (NR) network or other fifth generation communication (5th-generation, 5G) network, an evolution network of NR / 5G, a hybrid network of LTE and 5G, a next generation mobile communication network (for example, a sixth generation (6th-generation, 6G) mobile communication network), etc. The TN in the embodiment of the present application can support uplink communication and downlink communication, and can also support device to device (D2D) communication, machine to machine (M2M) communication, machine type communication (MTC), vehicle to vehicle (V2V) communication, and vehicle to everything (V2X) communication, etc.

[0095] Non-terrestrial network, or NTN, can also be called satellite communication network, which has the characteristics of large communication range, high reliability, and multiple access. Generally speaking, the higher the satellite orbit, the larger its coverage area, but the longer the communication delay. According to the satellite altitude, that is, the satellite orbit altitude, satellites can be divided into: (1) Geostationary earth orbit (MEO) or geostationary orbit satellite: stationary relative to the earth, with a constant orbit altitude of 35786km; (2) Low earth orbit (LEO) satellite: orbit altitude of 300~1500km; (3) Other satellites: including medium earth orbit (MEO) satellite and high earth orbit (HEO) satellite, MEO orbit altitude is 7000~25000km, 2000~35786km; HEO orbit altitude is 400~50000km. In addition to satellites, NTN also includes some aircraft: such as high altitude platforms (HAPs), unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), etc.

[0096] The NTN involved in the embodiment of the present application may be implemented by using any of the above-mentioned satellites, altitude platforms or drone systems. In addition, the NTN in the embodiment of the present application may be a 4G-based NTN, a NR-based NTN, an Internet of Things (IoT)-based NTN, a narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT)-based NTN, or an NTN based on other current technologies or other technologies that may appear in the future.

[0097] Compared with traditional ground networks, NTN uses typical flying platforms to participate in network deployment. For example, the access network equipment or some of the access network equipment functions are deployed on the flying platform to provide coverage for the terminal, or the flying platform is used as a relay to forward the signal of the ground access network equipment to provide coverage for the terminal. Figures 1A to 1D Several NTN architecture diagrams provided in the embodiments of the present application are shown. It should be understood that Figures 1A to 1D This is only an illustrative description of NTN and does not constitute any limitation to the embodiments of the present application.

[0098] Figure 1A A schematic diagram of an NTN architecture provided by an embodiment of the present application is shown. Figure 1A , the NTN 100A is a transparent mode for signal forwarding between the terminal and the access network device. The NTN 100 includes a terminal 101, a flight platform 102A (which can be a satellite, an altitude platform or an unmanned aerial vehicle system, etc.), a gateway 103, an access network device 104, a core network device 105 and a data network 106. The access network device 104 is deployed on the ground, as part of the ground network, and communicates with the data network 106 through the core network device 105. The flight platform 102A acts as a relay, that is, the flight platform 102A does not have the function of an access network device, and the communication between the terminal 101 and the data network 106 needs to be transferred through the flight platform 102A.

[0099] Figure 1B A schematic diagram of an NTN architecture provided by an embodiment of the present application is shown. Figure 1B The NTN 100B is a regenerative mode of the access network device. The NTN 200 includes a terminal 101, a flight platform 102B (which may be a satellite, an altitude platform or an unmanned aerial vehicle system, etc.), a gateway 103, a core network device 105 and a data network 106. Figure 1A The difference between the flight platform 102A in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 is that the flight platform 102B is equipped with an access network device to realize the function of a ground station. In other words, the flight platform 102B has an access network device (e.g., Figure 1AThe function of the access network device 104).

[0100] Figure 1C A schematic diagram of an NTN architecture provided by an embodiment of the present application is shown. Figure 1C , the NTN 100C is a regenerative mode of access network equipment and includes an inter-satellite link (ISL). The NTN 200 includes a terminal 101, a flight platform 102B (which may be a satellite, an altitude platform or an unmanned aerial vehicle system, etc.), a gateway 103, a core network device 105, a data network 106, a terminal 107, a flight platform 108 (which may be a satellite, an altitude platform or an unmanned aerial vehicle system, etc.), a gateway 109, a core network device 110, and a data network 111. Similar to the flight platform 102B, the flight platform 108 is deployed with access network equipment to realize the function of a ground station, or in other words, the flight platform 108 has access network equipment (for example, Figure 1A The flight platform 102B and the flight platform 108 may communicate via an ISL.

[0101] Figure 1D A schematic diagram of an NTN architecture provided by an embodiment of the present application is shown. Figure 1D The NTN 100D includes a terminal 101, a flight platform 102D (which may be a satellite, an altitude platform or an unmanned aerial vehicle system, etc.), a gateway 103, a CU 112, a core network device 105 and a data network 106. A DU may be deployed on the flight platform 102D to implement some functions of a ground station, or in other words, the flight platform 102D has the functions of a DU. The CU 112 is deployed on the ground. The CU and the CU are used together to implement the functions of the access network device.

[0102] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of a communication system provided by an embodiment of the present application. Figure 2 , the communication system 200 may include a first management unit 210 , a second management unit 220 and a third management unit 230 .

[0103] The first management unit 210 may be one or more equipment management function entities or equipment management system (EMS), which is used to manage related equipment / network elements / functions in the NTN. Exemplarily, the first management unit 210 may include an MnS Producer. The MnS Producer is a logical entity or a physical entity that provides management services deployed in the first management unit 210, and is a provider of management services. In the embodiment of the present application, it may be a collection service producer, which is responsible for establishing measurement tasks and generating measurement results.

[0104] The third management unit 230 may be one or more device management function entities or EMSs, which are used to manage related devices / network elements / functions in the TN. Exemplarily, the third management unit 230 may also include business applications. Business applications refer to the application subject of data, which monitors the status of the network or generates network configuration commands by processing and analyzing the data. For example, application services may be network twin construction, performance prediction, fault prediction, etc., and network configuration commands may be adjusting the antenna tilt angle of the access network device, turning on a certain algorithm switch of the access network device, etc.

[0105] Exemplarily, the first management unit 210 may include EMSs in one or more domains. Similarly, the third management unit 230 may include EMSs in one or more domains.

[0106] The "domain" refers to: a physical or logical entity composed of network devices in the same management scope. Exemplarily, the domain can be a wireless domain, a core network domain, or a transmission domain. The wireless domain can include access network equipment, user equipment, network equipment in the wireless EMS, etc. The core network domain can include core network elements, such as session management function (session management function, SMF), network data analysis function (network data analytics function, NWDAF), access and mobility management function (access and mobility function, AMF), network equipment in the core network EMS, etc. The transmission domain can include switches, routers, network equipment in the transmission network EMS, etc. EMS can manage one or more network functions (network functions, NF). For example, NF can be access network equipment, transmission network equipment, core network equipment, such as switches, routers, or core network elements (such as SMF, AMF, NWDAF, etc.).

[0107] The second management unit 220 may be a network management function entity or a network management system (NMS). The second management unit 220 may be a management system responsible for the operation, management and maintenance functions of the network. For example, the second management unit 220 can obtain the coverage information of all cells (including NTN cells and NT cells) and know the cells under the jurisdiction of each EMS. Exemplarily, the NMS can provide a variety of basic functions such as fault, configuration, accounting, performance or security. Exemplarily, the NMS may include an MnS Consumer. The MnS Consumer is a management service consumption logic or physical entity deployed in the NMS. It is the caller of the management service. In the embodiment of the present application, it may be a collection service consumer, responsible for issuing measurement tasks and obtaining measurement reports.

[0108] The related functions of the first management unit 210, the second management unit 220 or the third management unit 230 can be implemented by one device, or by multiple devices, or by one or more functional modules in one device, or by one or more chips, or by a system on chip (SOC) or a chip system. The chip system can be composed of chips, or can include chips and other discrete devices. The embodiments of the present application do not specifically limit this. It is understandable that the above functions can be network elements in hardware devices, or software functions running on dedicated hardware, or a combination of hardware and software, or virtualization functions instantiated on a platform (e.g., a cloud platform).

[0109] based on Figure 2 The communication system 200 shown is a communication method provided by an embodiment of the present application. In the method, the second management unit 220 can request the first management unit 210 to measure the network performance of a certain NTN cell; the first management unit 210 can return the measurement result to the second management unit 220, and the second management unit 220 can guide the third management unit to configure or manage the corresponding TN in the NTN coverage area based on the measurement result.

[0110] Generally speaking, the coverage of NTN cells is very large, while the coverage of general TN cells is small. The measurement results of NTN cells may not be used to assist in the management of TN, or the measurement results of NTN cells cannot be used to assist in the management accurately. Taking Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region as an example, when the networking mode is LEO, the diameter of each cell is about 1000km, and the entire province may only need 1-2 NTN cells. However, the coverage capacity of TN access network equipment is only tens of kilometers, and the coverage distance of some access network equipment is only within 1 kilometer. It takes about 2000 TN cells to cover the entire province. There are obviously problems in using the network conditions of 1-2 NTN cells measured to guide the management of TN cells.

[0111] To solve the above problems, an embodiment of the present application further provides a communication method, which can more accurately manage / configure the TN according to the network performance of the NTN cell in the sub-area.

[0112] In the embodiment of the present application, the second management unit 220 can measure the network performance of the NTN cell in a sub-area. The sub-area is a part of the area covered by the NTN cell, and the network performance in the sub-area refers to the communication performance of the communication device related to the NTN cell (for example, the terminal device served by the NTN cell, or the communication network element connected to the NTN cell) located in the sub-area.

[0113] In an example, the sub-area may include a continuous area within the coverage area of ​​the NTN cell, for example, see Figure 3A , the sub-area is area A in the area covered by the NTN cell.

[0114] In one example, the sub-area may include multiple discontinuous areas in the NTN cell coverage area, for example, Figure 3B , the sub-area may include area A and area B in the area covered by the NTN cell.

[0115] In a possible implementation, the sub-area may be a coverage area of ​​a mapped cell. Exemplarily, the mapped cell may be defined by a radio access network or a core network. Exemplarily, the mapped cell may be identified by a mapped cell identity (ID), which may be bound to a certain geographical area.

[0116] For example, see Figure 4A ,An NTN cell includes multiple mapping cells, and the area covered by each mapping cell is a sub-area. The coverage areas of any two mapping cells may have ,or may not have overlapping parts.

[0117] In a possible implementation manner, the sub-area may be one of multiple sub-areas obtained by dividing the NTN cell in any of the following manners.

[0118] Method 1

[0119] The coverage of an NTN cell can be divided into multiple sub-areas according to the capability of the access network equipment of the operator. For example, the coverage of an NTN cell can be divided into multiple sub-areas according to the strongest, weakest, or median coverage capability of the access network equipment.

[0120] For example, if the coverage range of the operator's access network equipment is 500m to 700m, the coverage area of ​​the NTN cell can be divided into multiple sub-areas in the manner that the coverage range of one sub-area is 500m. It should be understood that the coverage area of ​​the NTN cell can also be divided into multiple sub-areas in the manner that the coverage range of one sub-area is 600m or 700m.

[0121] Method 2

[0122] An NTN cell may be divided into a plurality of sub-areas according to the geographical environment of the NTN cell coverage area and the experience of deploying access network equipment or TN cells in the geographical environment of this type.

[0123] For example, if the NTN cell belongs to a mountainous area / ocean / desert, the coverage area of ​​the NTN cell can be divided into multiple sub-areas based on the experience of deploying access network equipment or the coverage range of TN cells in mountainous areas / oceans / deserts. For example, if the coverage range of an access network device generally deployed in a mountainous area is 2000m, the coverage area of ​​the NTN cell can be divided into multiple sub-areas based on the coverage range of an NTN sub-area being 2000m.

[0124] For example, if the NTN cell belongs to a rural / suburban area, the coverage area of ​​the NTN cell may be divided into a plurality of sub-areas according to the experience of the deployment of access network equipment in the rural / suburban area or the coverage area of ​​the TN cell.

[0125] For example, an NTN cell covers both the ocean and the land. Therefore, the area belonging to the ocean in the coverage area of ​​the NTN cell can be divided into multiple sub-areas based on the empirical value of the coverage range of the access network equipment deployed on the ocean or the TN cell. And the area belonging to the land in the coverage area of ​​the NTN cell can be divided into multiple sub-areas based on the empirical value of the coverage range of the access network equipment deployed on the land or the TN cell.

[0126] Method 3

[0127] The coverage area of ​​an NTN cell may be divided into multiple sub-areas based on administrative regions, such as villages, towns, cities, provinces, etc.

[0128] For example, the coverage area of ​​an NTN cell includes five villages, and each of the five villages can be a sub-area, so that the coverage area of ​​the NTN cell is divided into five sub-areas.

[0129] For example, the coverage area of ​​an NTN cell includes two towns, and the two towns can be a sub-area respectively, so that the coverage area of ​​the NTN cell is divided into two sub-areas.

[0130] Method 4

[0131] The coverage area of ​​an NTN cell can be divided into multiple sub-areas based on the infrastructure.

[0132] For example, one or more roads in the coverage area of ​​an NTN cell can be divided into a sub-area, or one or more scenic spots in the coverage area of ​​an NTN cell can be divided into a sub-area, or one or more squares in the coverage area of ​​an NTN cell can be divided into a sub-area. Figure 3B Region A and region B in can be a square respectively, and these two squares are a sub-region.

[0133] For example, see Figure 4B The coverage area of ​​the NTN cell includes several roads, and the several roads can divide the NTN cell into multiple sub-areas, wherein the coverage ranges of the multiple sub-areas may be different.

[0134] Method 5

[0135] The coverage area of ​​an NTN cell can be divided into multiple sub-areas according to longitude and latitude.

[0136] For example, one or more longitude and / or latitude separation points, or longitude and / or latitude intervals may be defined to divide the coverage area of ​​the NTN cell into multiple NTN sub-areas. Figure 4C , it is defined that the longitude and latitude intervals are both 1°, then the coverage area of ​​the NTN cell can be divided into multiple NTN sub-areas by longitudes and latitudes separated by 1°.

[0137] It should be understood that the sub-areas in the embodiments of the present application are not limited to the above-mentioned methods. In addition to the above-mentioned methods, the embodiments of the present application may also adopt any other reasonable methods to obtain the sub-areas. For example, the coverage area of ​​an NTN cell may be divided into multiple sub-areas according to a fixed coverage range of one sub-area, such as 300m.

[0138] The terminal accessing the NTN has positioning capability, and the terminal can report its location information directly or indirectly (for example, through the NTN access network device) to the first management unit 210, so that the first management unit 210 can know in which sub-area the terminal is located, and then can know the terminals in the sub-area to be measured. In this way, the first management unit 210 can know the network performance of the NTN cell in the sub-area according to the situation of the terminals in the sub-area to be measured.

[0139] For example, for sub-area #1 to be measured, the first management unit 210 can learn that the terminals in sub-area #1 are terminal #1 to terminal #20 based on the location information reported by the terminals. The first management unit 210 can learn the network performance of the NTN cell in sub-area #1 based on the conditions of these 20 terminals.

[0140] The network performance of the NTN cell in the sub-area described in the embodiment of the present application may include one or more of the following:

[0141] The packet delay of the NTN access network equipment related to the NTN cell in the sub-area;

[0142] Radio resource utilization of NTN access network equipment related to the NTN cell in the sub-area (radioresource utilization);

[0143] The data throughput of the terminals served by the NTN cell in the sub-area (UE throughput);

[0144] The number of RRC connections of the NTN cell in the sub-area;

[0145] Performance related to protocol data unit (PDU) session management of terminals served by the NTN cell located in the sub-area; or,

[0146] Mobility management related performance of the terminals served by the NTN cell located in the sub-area.

[0147] Exemplarily, the delay of data packets of the access network device related to the NTN cell in the sub-area may refer to the average delay of receiving data packets by the NTN access network device connected to the terminal that accesses the NTN cell and is located in the sub-area. For example, for the above-mentioned sub-area #1, the NTN access network device corresponding to the NTN cell may report the measured delay of receiving data packets of the terminal #1 to the terminal #20 to the first management unit 210, and the first management unit 210 may calculate the average delay of receiving data packets by the NTN access network device connected to the terminal that accesses the NTN cell and is located in the sub-area according to the reporting result of the NTN access network device. It should be understood that the delay of data packets of the access network device related to the NTN cell in the sub-area may also refer to the sum of the delays of receiving data packets by the NTN access network devices connected to the terminals that access the NTN cell and are located in the sub-area.

[0148] It should be understood that in different networking modes, the NTN access network equipment includes different network elements, such as Figure 1A In the example, the NTN access network equipment includes a flight platform 102A, a gateway 103 and an access network equipment 104. Figure 1B In the example, the NTN access network equipment includes a flight platform 102B and a gateway 103 .

[0149] Exemplarily, the wireless resource usage of the access network device related to the NTN cell in the sub-area may refer to the total number of resource blocks (RBs) used by all terminals accessing the NTN cell and located in the sub-area. For example, for the above sub-area #1, the sum of the number of RBs used by terminals #1 to #20 is the wireless resource usage of the access network device related to the NTN cell in the sub-area.

[0150] Exemplarily, the data throughput of the terminal served by the NTN cell in the sub-area may refer to an average value or a sum of the data throughputs of all terminals accessing the NTN cell and located in the sub-area.

[0151] Exemplarily, the number of RRC connections of the NTN cell in the sub-area may refer to the number of terminals accessing the NTN cell and located in the sub-area. For example, for sub-area #1, the number of RRC connections is 20.

[0152] Exemplarily, the performance related to the PDU session management of the terminal served by the NTN cell in the sub-area may refer to the PDU session success rate / failure rate of the terminal accessing the NTN cell and located in the sub-area, that is, the number of successful / failed establishment of PDU sessions of all terminals accessing the NTN cell and located in the sub-area divided by the number of attempts to establish the PDU session. For example, for sub-area #1, its PDU session success rate is 90%.

[0153] Exemplarily, the performance related to mobility management of the terminal served by the NTN cell in the sub-area may refer to the average time for the terminal accessing the NTN cell and located in the sub-area to perform cell switching. For example, for NTN sub-area #1, the average switching time is 100 milliseconds.

[0154] After measuring the network performance of the NTN cell in the sub-area, the first management unit 210 can send the measurement result to the second management unit 220; based on the received measurement result, the second management unit can guide the third management unit 230 to configure the TN corresponding to the sub-area. This method can manage the TN more accurately by using the measurement results of the sub-area with a smaller coverage area instead of the TN cell with a larger coverage area.

[0155] The following takes the first management unit 210, the second management unit 220 and the third management unit 230 as the first EMS, the NMS and the second EMS as examples to describe the method provided in the embodiment of the present application in more detail. The first EMS is used to manage the NTN and the second EMS is used to manage the TN. It should be understood that the first EMS may include one or more EMSs and the second EMS may include one or more EMSs.

[0156] Figure 5 5 is a schematic flow chart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application. The method 500 may include one or more steps from S510 to S580, and each step is described below.

[0157] S510, the NMS determines the EMS corresponding to the sub-area #1.

[0158] The NMS determines that the EMS corresponding to the sub-area #1 refers to the EMS that the NMS determines to manage the NTN cell to which the sub-area #1 belongs. The sub-area #1 is an area that needs to implement a network performance strategy.

[0159] For example, each EMS can divide the coverage area of ​​the NTN cell based on any of the methods 1 to 5 described above. After obtaining the sub-areas, the mapping relationship between the identification information of the sub-areas, the area information of the sub-areas, and the identification information of the NTN cell to which the sub-areas belong can be sent to the NMS. The NMS can determine that sub-area #1 is located in the coverage area of ​​NTN cell #1 based on the mapping relationship. Since the NMS knows the coverage information of all cells and knows the cells under the jurisdiction of each EMS, the EMS can determine the EMS that manages NTN cell #1. Exemplarily, in an embodiment of the present application, the area information can be geographic location information, such as longitude and latitude information.

[0160] For example, the NMS can divide the coverage area of ​​the NTN cell based on any of the methods 1 to 5 described above. After obtaining the sub-areas, the NMS can save the mapping relationship between the identification information of the sub-areas, the area information of the sub-areas, and the identification information of the NTN cell to which the sub-areas belong. The NMS can determine that the sub-area #1 is located in the coverage area of ​​the NTN cell #1 based on the mapping relationship. Since the NMS knows the coverage information of all cells and knows the cells governed by each EMS, the EMS can determine the EMS that manages the NTN cell #1.

[0161] For example, sub-area #1 is an area determined by the NMS from the coverage area of ​​NTN cell #1. Since the NMS knows the coverage information of all cells and the cells governed by each EMS, the EMS can determine the EMS that manages NTN cell #1.

[0162] For the convenience of description below, it is assumed that the NTN cell to which the sub-area #1 belongs is the NTN cell #1, and the EMS corresponding to the sub-area #1 is recorded as the first EMS.

[0163] It should be understood that the NTN cell to which the sub-area #1 belongs refers to the NTN cell corresponding to the coverage area of ​​the sub-area #1.

[0164] S520: The NMS sends a request message to the first EMS. Correspondingly, the first EMS receives the request message.

[0165] For example, the NMS may send the request information to the first EMS through the interface between the NMS and the first EMS. The request information is used to request / instruct to perform network performance measurement with the sub-area as the measurement range. That is, the request information indicates that the granularity / unit of the network performance measurement performed by the first EMS is the sub-area.

[0166] Exemplarily, the request information may explicitly indicate that the network performance measurement is performed with the sub-area as the measurement range. For example, the request information may include relevant information of the sub-area (ie, sub-area #1) to be measured, and the relevant information may be, for example, identification information or area information.

[0167] For example, the NMS and the first EMS pre-store a mapping relationship between the identification information of the sub-area and the area information of the sub-area. Then, the NMS can indicate to the first EMS that the first EMS needs to measure the sub-area and the sub-area to be measured by carrying the identification information of the sub-area in the request information.

[0168] For example, the NMS may carry the area information of the sub-area in the request information, and then the first EMS may learn the sub-area that needs to be measured and the sub-area that needs to be measured according to the area information.

[0169] Exemplarily, the request information may implicitly indicate that the network performance measurement is performed with the sub-area as the measurement range. For example, the request information may carry the identification information of the NTN cell to which the sub-area belongs and the division method information, and the division method information is used to divide the coverage area of ​​the NTN cell into multiple sub-areas. For example, the division method is the method 5 described above, and the division method information is multiple longitude and / or latitude separation points or longitude and / or latitude spacing. In this way, it can be implicitly indicated that multiple sub-areas obtained by dividing the coverage area of ​​the NTN cell need to be measured.

[0170] Optionally, the request information may include a mapping relationship between identification information of the sub-region and area information of the sub-region.

[0171] For example, the request information may include identification information of the sub-area to be measured and a mapping relationship between the identification information of the sub-area and the area information of the sub-area. In this way, the first EMS may determine the sub-area to be measured based on the received information.

[0172] This method can be applied to the scenario where the NMS determines the coverage area of ​​the sub-area. Since the NMS has a more comprehensive understanding of the situation of the entire network, it is more reasonable for the NMS to determine the coverage area of ​​the sub-area and provide the mapping relationship between the sub-area and the geographical location to the EMS, such as the first EMS.

[0173] It should be understood that the mapping relationship between the identification information of the sub-area and the area information of the sub-area can also be stored on the first EMS side, and the first EMS can provide the mapping relationship to the NMS. This method can be applied to the scenario where the coverage area of ​​the sub-area is determined by an EMS, such as the first EMS. Since the first EMS has a more real-time and accurate grasp of the situation of the NTN network, the determined mapping relationship is more conducive to the accuracy of the measurement.

[0174] Exemplarily, the request information may be a CreateMeasurementjob request message for requesting the creation of a measurement task. In an embodiment of the present application, the CreateMeasurementjob request message is used to request the creation of a measurement task for measuring the network performance of NTN cell #1 in sub-area #1. The CreateMeasurementjob request message may include performance and / or a measurement object (KPI object). Among them, performance represents the network performance to be measured, and the measurement object may be identification information of sub-area #1 in an embodiment of the present application.

[0175] Exemplarily, the NMS may execute S520 when there is a measurement requirement, or the request information may be subscription information, and S520 is executed when a subscription period arrives.

[0176] It should be noted that S520 is an optional step, which may be executed or not executed, and will be described in S530 below.

[0177] S530: The first EMS measures the network performance of the NTN cell #1 in the sub-area #1 to obtain a measurement result.

[0178] Exemplarily, the first EMS may execute S530 upon receiving the measurement request in S520. Alternatively, the first EMS may automatically execute S530 periodically or aperiodically based on network configuration, for example, the network may pre-configure the first EMS to perform measurement on which sub-areas at what time.

[0179] Based on the above description, the first EMS can determine that sub-area #1 needs to be measured according to the request information or pre-configuration. Since the first EMS can learn the terminals located in sub-area #1 and the first EMS knows the TNT cells governed / associated by the network elements it manages (e.g., NTN access network equipment and core network equipment, etc.), the first EMS can determine the communication devices related to the measurement sub-area #1 (e.g., terminal equipment, NTN access network equipment and / or core network equipment, etc.), so that the first EMS can instruct these communication devices to measure the network performance of NTN cell #1 in sub-area #1. For example, the first EMS can request these communication devices to collect network performance data, and these communication devices can reply to the request response after collecting the network performance data, and the request response includes the network performance data. Then, the first EMS can determine the measurement result of the network performance of NTN cell #1 in sub-area #1 according to the network performance data replied by these communication devices. Exemplarily, the first EMS can sum or average the network performance data replied by these communication devices to obtain the measurement result of the network performance of NTN cell #1 in sub-area #1. For example, the NTN access network device corresponding to the NTN cell #1 can reply to the first EMS with the number of RBs used by each terminal accessing the NTN cell #1 and located in the sub-area #1, and the first EMS can use the total number of RBs used by these terminals as the measurement result of the network performance of the NTN cell #1 in the sub-area #1.

[0180] It should be understood that for content related to the network performance in the sub-area, reference can be made to the relevant description above and will not be repeated here.

[0181] Optionally, in one implementation, after receiving the request information, the first EMS may first determine whether the sub-area #1 requested to be measured in the request information is a new measurement parameter, that is, whether the sub-area #1 has been measured before. If it is a new measurement parameter, the network element related to the NTN cell #1 is requested to collect network performance data.

[0182] S540: The first EMS sends the measurement result to the NMS. Correspondingly, the NMS receives the measurement result from the first EMS.

[0183] The measurement result may include the network performance of NTN cell #1 in sub-area #1. For example, the measurement result may include one or more of the following: the delay of the data packet of the access network device of NTN cell #1 in sub-area #1, the wireless resource usage of NTN cell #1 in sub-area #1, the number of RRC connections of NTN cell #1 in sub-area #1, the PDU session management of NTN cell #1 in sub-area #1, or the mobility management of NTN cell #1 in sub-area #1. The meaning of the parameters included in the measurement result can be referred to the relevant description above, which will not be repeated here.

[0184] Exemplarily, the measurement result may also include identification information of sub-area #1. Further, the measurement result may also include identification information of NTN cell #1.

[0185] Exemplarily, the measurement result may be a measurement task creation response message in response to a measurement task creation request message, or the measurement result may be carried by a measurement task creation response message. The measurement task creation response message may include performance and / or a measurement object (KPI object). Among them, the performance represents the measured network performance, and the measurement object may be the identification information of sub-area #1 in the embodiment of the present application.

[0186] Optionally, the first EMS may also send indication information to the NMS, where the indication information indicates a mapping relationship between the identification information of the sub-area and the area information of the sub-area. That is, the first EMS may also send a mapping relationship between the identification information of the sub-area and the area information of the sub-area to the NMS.

[0187] S550: The NMS determines, based on the measurement result, policy information for configuring the TN corresponding to the sub-area #1.

[0188] Exemplarily, in an embodiment of the present application, the TN corresponding to the sub-area #1 refers to: a TN that has or will cover the sub-area #1; or, a TN that has or will cover an area with the same or similar geographical environment as the sub-area #1. For example, the sub-area #1 belongs to the ocean, but the ocean is located in southern China, and the TN corresponding to the sub-area #1 may be a TN in the eastern part of China that also belongs to the ocean.

[0189] Exemplarily, configuring the TN corresponding to the sub-area #1 may refer to: configuring a TN to be deployed or already deployed.

[0190] Exemplarily, the policy information may be configuring a TN base station (ie, access network equipment) or increasing / decreasing the number of configured TN base stations.

[0191] For example, the measurement result includes the number of terminals located in sub-area #1 and accessing NTN cell #1. Then, if TN is not deployed in sub-area #1, the policy information may indicate that N1 TN base stations are configured in the geographical area corresponding to sub-area #1, and N1 may be determined by the NMS according to the number of terminals located in sub-area #1 and accessing NTN cell #1, or by the second EMS according to the number of terminals located in sub-area #1 and accessing NTN cell #1; if TN is already deployed in sub-area #1, when the number of terminals in sub-area #1 and accessing NTN cell #1 is greater than a preset threshold, the policy information may indicate that M1 TN base stations are configured in the geographical area corresponding to sub-area #1, and M1 may be indicated by the NMS or determined by the second EMS.

[0192] For example, the measurement result includes the total number of RBs used by the terminal located in sub-area #1 and accessing NTN cell #1. Then, if TN is not deployed in sub-area #1, the policy information may indicate that N2 TN base stations are configured in the geographical area corresponding to #1 in the sub-area, and N2 may be determined by the NMS according to the total number of RBs used by the terminal located in sub-area #1 and accessing NTN cell #1, or by the second EMS according to the total number of RBs used by the terminal located in sub-area #1 and accessing NTN cell #1; if TN is already deployed in sub-area #1, when the total number of RBs used by the terminal located in sub-area #1 and accessing NTN cell #1 is greater than a preset threshold, the policy information may indicate that M2 TN base stations are configured in the geographical area corresponding to sub-area #1, and M2 may be indicated by the NMS or determined by the second EMS.

[0193] For example, the measurement result includes the average time for a terminal located in sub-area #1 and accessing NTN cell #1 to perform cell switching. Assuming that TN has been deployed in sub-area #1, if the average time is greater than a preset threshold, the policy information may indicate that M3 (for example, 3) more TN base stations are configured in sub-area #1.

[0194] It should be understood that in the embodiments of the present application, configuring TN may also refer to deploying TN, or configuring TN may be understood as performing parameter configuration on the NT base station.

[0195] It should be understood that the policy information may also be described as a policy, a configuration policy, etc. It should be understood that different names shall not constitute any limitation on the protection scope of the present application.

[0196] S560, the NMS determines the EMS corresponding to the TN corresponding to the sub-area #1.

[0197] That is, the NMS determines the EMS for managing the TN corresponding to the sub-area #1.

[0198] As described above in S510, the NMS can determine the area information of sub-area #1, such as the location information of sub-area #1. In addition, since the NMS knows the coverage information of all cells and the cells governed by each EMS, in S560, the NMS can determine the EMS that manages the TN corresponding to the sub-area #1 based on the area information of the sub-area #1.

[0199] In the embodiment of the present application, the EMS corresponding to the TN corresponding to the sub-region #1 is recorded as: the second EMS.

[0200] S570: The NMS sends the policy information to the second EMS. Correspondingly, the second EMS receives the policy information from the NMS.

[0201] For example, the NMS may send the policy information to the second EMS through an interface between the NMS and the second EMS.

[0202] Exemplarily, the policy information may include information such as access network device identification, cell identification, access network device address, access network device capability, etc. For example, in S550, the NMS determines that two access network devices need to be configured for sub-area #1, then the policy information may include the identification of the two access network devices and the corresponding cell identification, the addresses where the two access network devices need to be deployed, and the corresponding capability information.

[0203] Optionally, the NMS may also send one or both of a mapping relationship between the identification information of the sub-area and the area information of the sub-area and a measurement result to the second EMS.

[0204] S580: The second EMS configures the TN corresponding to the sub-area #1 based on the policy information.

[0205] For example, the second EMS may use the policy information as the final policy to configure the TN corresponding to the sub-area.

[0206] Optionally, if the NMS also sends the mapping relationship between the identification information of the sub-area and the area information of the sub-area and one or both of the measurement results to the second EMS, the second EMS can refer to the policy information provided by the NMS, and at the same time combine the mapping relationship between the identification information of the sub-area and the area information of the sub-area and one or both of the measurement results to determine the final strategy for configuring the TN corresponding to the sub-area, thereby adopting the final strategy to configure the TN corresponding to the sub-area.

[0207] The method provided in the embodiment of the present application can manage the TN corresponding to the sub-area according to the network performance of the NTN cell in the sub-area. Since the coverage of the sub-area in the embodiment of the present application is smaller than the coverage of the NTN cell, it can better reflect the network usage and terminal distribution in the smaller area. Therefore, the measurement results of the sub-area can more accurately configure the TN corresponding to the sub-area, improve the input-output of the operator, and also save measurement resources and time.

[0208] Figure 6 6 is a schematic flow chart of a communication method provided by an embodiment of the present application. The method 600 may include one or more steps from S610 to S670. The method 600 is different from the method 500 in that the policy information for configuring the TN is determined by the second EMS instead of the NMS in the method. The same concepts or terms as those described above that appear in the method 600 can be described in the relevant description above, and will not be repeated in the method 600. The steps of the method 600 are described below.

[0209] S610 to S640 are the same as S510 to S540.

[0210] S650, the NMS determines the EMS corresponding to the TN corresponding to the sub-area #1.

[0211] This step is the same as S560, and reference may be made to S560. In addition, for understanding the TN corresponding to the sub-region #1, reference may be made to the relevant description in S560, which will not be repeated here.

[0212] S660: The NMS sends the measurement result to the second EMS. Correspondingly, the second EMS receives the measurement result from the NMS.

[0213] For example, the NMS may send the measurement result to the second EMS through an interface between the NMS and the second EMS.

[0214] The measurement result may include the network performance of NTN cell #1 in sub-area #1. For example, the measurement result may include one or more of the following: the delay of the data packet of the NTN access network device related to NTN cell #1 in sub-area #1, the wireless resource usage of the NTN access network device related to NTN cell #1 in sub-area #1, the data throughput of the terminal served by NTN cell #1 in sub-area #1, the number of RRC connections of NTN cell #1 in sub-area #1, the performance related to PDU session management of the terminal served by NTN cell #1 in sub-area #1, or the performance related to mobility management of the terminal served by NTN cell #1 in sub-area #1. The meaning of the parameters included in the measurement result can be referred to the relevant description above, which will not be repeated here.

[0215] Exemplarily, the measurement result may also include identification information of sub-area #1. Further, the measurement result may also include identification information of NTN cell #1.

[0216] Optionally, the NMS may also send indication information to the second EMS, where the indication information indicates a mapping relationship between the identification information of the sub-area and the area information of the sub-area.

[0217] S670: The second EMS configures the TN corresponding to the sub-area #1 based on the measurement result.

[0218] Exemplarily, configuring the TN corresponding to the sub-area #1 may refer to: configuring a TN to be deployed or already deployed.

[0219] For example, the measurement result includes the number of terminals located in sub-area #1 and accessing NTN cell #1. Then, if TN is not deployed in sub-area #1, N1 TN base stations can be configured in the geographical area corresponding to sub-area #1, and N1 can be determined by the second EMS according to the number of terminals located in sub-area #1 and accessing NTN cell #1; if TN is already deployed in sub-area #1, when the number of terminals in sub-area #1 and accessing NTN cell #1 is greater than a preset threshold, M1 TN base stations can be configured in the geographical area corresponding to sub-area #1, and M1 can be determined by the second EMS according to the number of terminals located in sub-area #1 and accessing NTN cell #1.

[0220] For example, the measurement result includes the total number of RBs used by the terminal located in sub-area #1 and accessing NTN cell #1. Then, if TN is not deployed in sub-area #1, N2 TN base stations can be configured in the geographical area corresponding to #1 in the sub-area, and N2 can be determined by the second EMS according to the total number of RBs used by the terminal located in sub-area #1 and accessing NTN cell #1; if TN is already deployed in sub-area #1, when the total number of RBs used by the terminal located in sub-area #1 and accessing NTN cell #1 is greater than a preset threshold, M2 TN base stations can be configured in the geographical area corresponding to sub-area #1.

[0221] Exemplarily, the second EMS can configure the TN corresponding to the sub-area in combination with the measurement result and the mapping relationship between the identification information of the sub-area and the area information of the sub-area. For example, if the second EMS cannot know the specific location of the area covered by sub-area #1, the specific location of the area covered by sub-area #1 can be determined based on the mapping relationship, and then the above-mentioned policy information can be determined in combination with the measurement result.

[0222] The method provided in the embodiment of the present application can manage the TN corresponding to the sub-area according to the network performance of the NTN cell in the sub-area. Since the coverage of the sub-area in the embodiment of the present application is smaller than the coverage of the NTN cell, it can better reflect the network performance of the area with a smaller range. Therefore, the measurement results of the sub-area can more accurately configure the TN corresponding to the sub-area, improve the input-output of the operator, and also save measurement resources and time.

[0223] In addition, the method deploys the decision-making power of configuring TN on the second EMS side, so that the second EMS can configure TN according to its own situation and received information, thereby reducing the workload of the NMS and obtaining a better strategy for configuring TN.

[0224] Figure 7 700 is a schematic flow chart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application. The method 700 may include S710 and S720. It should be understood that the same concepts or terms as those described above in the method 700 may be described in the relevant description above, and will not be repeated in the method 700. The steps of the method 700 are described below.

[0225] S710, obtaining a measurement result of a network performance of an NTN cell in a sub-area.

[0226] S720: Based on the measurement result, configure the ground network TN corresponding to the sub-area.

[0227] This method can be Figure 2 The communication system 200 is shown as an implementation.

[0228] In one manner, the first management unit 210 may obtain the measurement result by measuring the network performance of the NTN cell in the sub-area.

[0229] In one embodiment, the first management unit 210 sends the measurement result to the second management unit 220 so that the second management unit 220 can obtain the measurement result.

[0230] In one embodiment, the second management unit 220 sends the measurement result to the third management unit 230 so that the third management unit 230 can obtain the measurement result.

[0231] In one embodiment, the second management unit 220 can determine the policy information for configuring the TN corresponding to the sub-area based on the measurement result, and can send the measurement information to the third management unit 230, and the third management unit 230 can configure the TN corresponding to the sub-area based on the policy information. For details about this embodiment, please refer to the method 500 above, which will not be described here.

[0232] In one manner, the third management unit 230 may configure the TN corresponding to the sub-area based on the measurement result. For details of this manner, reference may be made to the method 600 above, which will not be described in detail here.

[0233] The method provided in the embodiment of the present application can manage the TN corresponding to the sub-area according to the network performance of the NTN cell in the sub-area. Since the coverage of the sub-area in the embodiment of the present application is smaller than the coverage of the NTN cell, it can better reflect the network performance of the area with a smaller range. Therefore, the measurement results of the sub-area can more accurately configure the TN corresponding to the sub-area, improve the input-output of the operator, and also save measurement resources and time.

[0234] The above describes the method embodiment provided by the embodiment of the present application, and the following describes the device embodiment provided by the embodiment of the present application. It should be understood that the description of the device embodiment corresponds to the description of the method embodiment, so the content not described in detail can be referred to the method embodiment above, and for the sake of brevity, it will not be repeated here.

[0235] Figure 8 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 8 As shown, the communication device 2000 may include a communication unit 2100 and a processing unit 2200. The communication unit 2100 may implement a corresponding communication function, and the communication may be internal communication of the communication device 2000 or communication between the communication device 2000 and other devices; the processing unit 2200 may implement a corresponding processing function. The communication unit 2100 may also be referred to as a communication interface or a transceiver unit. Optionally, the communication device 2000 may also include a storage unit, which may be used to store instructions and / or data, and the processing unit 2200 may read the instructions and / or data in the storage unit, so that the device implements the aforementioned method embodiment.

[0236] In one possible design, the communication device 2000 may be a first management unit, or a module or chip applied to the first management unit. The communication device 2000 may be used to execute the steps or processes executed by the first management unit in the above method. For example, the communication device 2000 may be the first EMS in the method 500 or the method 600, and may execute the steps or processes executed by the first EMS in the method 500 or the method 600.

[0237] Specifically, the processing unit 2200 is used to measure the network performance of the non-terrestrial network NTN cell in a sub-area to obtain a measurement result, where the sub-area is a part of the area covered by the NTN cell; and the communication unit 2100 is used to send the measurement result.

[0238] Optionally, the measurement result includes one or more of the following: data packet delay, terminal data throughput, number of radio resource control RRC connections, or radio resource usage.

[0239] Optionally, the communication device 2000 is an element management system EMS for managing an NTN to which the NTN cell belongs, and / or the second management unit is a network management system NMS.

[0240] Optionally, the communication unit 2100 is further used to receive request information, where the request information is used to request to perform the network performance measurement with the sub-area as the measurement range.

[0241] Optionally, the request information includes a mapping relationship between the identification information of the sub-area and the area information of the sub-area.

[0242] Optionally, the communication unit 2100 is further configured to send indication information, where the indication information indicates a mapping relationship between the identification information of the sub-region and the region information of the sub-region.

[0243] In one possible design, the communication device 2000 may be a second management unit, or a module or chip applied to the second management unit. The communication device 2000 may be used to execute the steps or processes executed by the second management unit in the above method. For example, the communication device 2000 may be the NMS in method 500 or method 600, and may execute the steps or processes executed by the NMS in method 500 or method 600.

[0244] Specifically, the communication unit 2100 is used to receive the measurement results of the network performance of the non-terrestrial network NTN cell in a sub-area, and the sub-area is a part of the area covered by the NTN cell; the processing unit 2200 is used to determine the policy information based on the measurement results, and the policy information is used to configure the terrestrial network TN corresponding to the sub-area; the communication unit 2100 is also used to send the policy information to the third management unit.

[0245] Optionally, the measurement result includes one or more of the following: data packet delay, terminal data throughput, number of radio resource control RRC connections, or radio resource usage.

[0246] Optionally, the communication unit 2100 is further used to send a request message, where the request message is used to request to perform the network performance measurement with the sub-area as the measurement range.

[0247] Optionally, the request information includes a mapping relationship between the identification information of the sub-area and the area information of the sub-area.

[0248] Optionally, the communication unit 2100 is further configured to send indication information, where the indication information indicates a mapping relationship between the identification information of the sub-region and the region information of the sub-region.

[0249] It should be understood that the communication device 2000 may also be a third management unit, or a module or chip applied to the third management unit. The communication device 2000 may be used to execute the steps or processes executed by the third management unit in the above method. For example, the communication device 2000 may be the second EMS in the method 500 or the method 600, and may execute the steps or processes executed by the second EMS in the method 500 or the method 600.

[0250] For the steps or processes executed by each unit in the communication device 2000, please refer to the description in the corresponding method, which will not be described in detail here.

[0251] It should be understood that the "unit" in the communication device 2000 can be implemented by hardware, can be implemented by software, and can also be implemented by hardware executing the corresponding software. For example, the "unit" can refer to an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), an electronic circuit, a processor (such as a shared processor, a dedicated processor or a group processor, etc.) and a memory for executing one or more software or firmware programs, a combined logic circuit and / or other suitable components that support the described functions. For another example, the communication unit 2100 can be replaced by a transceiver transceiver circuit (for example, it can include a receiving circuit and a transmitting circuit), and the processing unit 2200 can be replaced by a processor or a processing circuit.

[0252] Fig. 9 A schematic block diagram of another communication device 3000 provided in an embodiment of the present application is shown. The communication device 3000 may be a first management unit / a second management unit / a third management unit, or may be a chip, a chip system, or a processor that supports the first management unit / a second management unit / a third management unit to implement the above method. The device may be used to implement the method described in the above method embodiment, and the details may refer to the description in the above method embodiment.

[0253] The communication device 3000 may include one or more processors 3100, which may also be referred to as processing units, and may implement certain control functions. The processor 3100 may be a general-purpose processor or a dedicated processor, etc. For example, it may be a baseband processor or a central processing unit. The baseband processor may be used to process the communication protocol and communication data, and the central processing unit may be used to control the communication device, execute the software program, and process the data of the software program.

[0254] In an optional design, the processor 3100 may also store instructions and / or data, which can be executed by the processor 3100 so that the communication device 3000 executes the method described in the above method embodiment.

[0255] In another optional design, the communication device 3000 may include a communication interface 3200 for implementing the receiving and sending functions. For example, the communication interface 3200 may be a transceiver circuit, an interface, an interface circuit, or a transceiver. The transceiver circuit, interface, interface circuit, or transceiver for implementing the receiving and sending functions may be separate or integrated. The above-mentioned transceiver circuit, interface, interface circuit, or transceiver may be used for reading and writing code / data, or the above-mentioned transceiver circuit, interface, interface circuit, or transceiver may be used for transmitting or delivering signals.

[0256] Optionally, the communication device 3000 may include one or more memories 3300, on which instructions may be stored, and the instructions may be executed on the processor 3100, so that the communication device 3000 performs the method described in the above method embodiment. Optionally, data may also be stored in the memory 3300. Optionally, instructions and / or data may also be stored in the processor 3100. The processor 3100 and the memory 3300 may be provided separately or integrated together.

[0257] It should be understood that in a possible design, each step in the method embodiment provided in the embodiment of the present application can be completed by an integrated logic circuit of hardware in a processor or an instruction in the form of software. The steps of the method disclosed in conjunction with the embodiment of the present application can be directly embodied as a hardware processor executing, or a combination of hardware and software modules in a processor executing. The software module can be located in a mature storage medium in the art such as a random access memory, a flash memory, a read-only memory, a programmable read-only memory or an electrically erasable programmable memory, a register, etc. The storage medium is located in a memory, and the processor reads the information in the memory and completes the steps of the above method in conjunction with its hardware. To avoid repetition, it is not described in detail here.

[0258] It should be noted that the processor in the embodiment of the present application can be an integrated circuit chip with signal processing capabilities. In the implementation process, each step of the above method embodiment can be completed by an integrated logic circuit of hardware in the processor or an instruction in the form of software. The above processor can be a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic devices, discrete gates or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components. The methods, steps and logic block diagrams disclosed in the embodiments of the present application can be implemented or executed. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or the processor can also be any conventional processor, etc. The steps of the method disclosed in the embodiment of the present application can be directly embodied as a hardware decoding processor to perform, or the hardware and software modules in the decoding processor can be combined and performed. The software module can be located in a mature storage medium in the field such as a random access memory, a flash memory, a read-only memory, a programmable read-only memory or an electrically erasable programmable memory, a register, etc. The storage medium is located in a memory, and the processor reads the information in the memory and completes the steps of the above method in combination with its hardware.

[0259] It can be understood that the memory in the embodiments of the present application can be a volatile memory or a non-volatile memory, or can include both volatile and non-volatile memories. Among them, the non-volatile memory can be a read-only memory (ROM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or a flash memory. The volatile memory can be a random access memory (RAM), which is used as an external cache. By way of example and not limitation, many forms of RAM are available, such as static RAM (SRAM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), double data rate SDRAM (DDR SDRAM), enhanced SDRAM (ESDRAM), synchronous link DRAM (SLDRAM), and direct RAM (DR RAM). It should be noted that the memory of the systems and methods described herein is intended to include, but is not limited to, these and any other suitable types of memory.

[0260] An embodiment of the present application also provides a computer program product, which includes: computer program code, when the computer program code is run on a computer, the computer executes each step or process executed by the first management unit, the second management unit or the third management unit in any of the above method embodiments.

[0261] An embodiment of the present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium, which stores program code. When the program code runs on a computer, the computer executes each step or process executed by the first management unit, the second management unit or the third management unit in any of the above method embodiments.

[0262] An embodiment of the present application also provides a communication device, including a processor and an interface, wherein the interface is used to send and / or receive signals, so that the processor executes each step or process executed by the first management unit, the second management unit or the third management unit in any of the above method embodiments.

[0263] The present application also provides a communication system, which includes at least one of a first management unit, a second management unit, and a third management unit.

[0264] The above-mentioned various device embodiments and method embodiments completely correspond to each other, and the corresponding steps are executed by the corresponding modules or units. For example, the communication unit or communication interface executes the receiving or sending steps in the method embodiment, and the other steps except sending and receiving can be executed by the processing unit or processor.

[0265] In the embodiments of the present application, each term and English abbreviation is provided for the convenience of description and shall not constitute any limitation to the present application. The embodiments of the present application do not exclude the possibility of defining other terms that can achieve the same or similar functions in existing or future protocols.

[0266] The terms "component", "module", "system", etc. used in this specification are used to represent computer-related entities, hardware, firmware, a combination of hardware and software, software, or software in execution. For example, a component can be, but is not limited to, a process running on a processor, a processor, an object, an executable file, an execution thread, a program and / or a computer. By way of illustration, both applications running on a computing device and a computing device can be components. One or more components may reside in a process and / or an execution thread, and a component may be located on a computer and / or distributed between two or more computers. In addition, these components may be executed from various computer-readable storage media having various data structures stored thereon. Components may, for example, communicate through local and / or remote processes according to signals having one or more data packets (e.g., data from two components interacting with another component between a local system, a distributed system and / or a network, such as the Internet interacting with other systems through signals).

[0267] Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the various illustrative logical blocks and steps described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or in a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are performed in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professional and technical personnel may use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0268] Those skilled in the art can clearly understand that, for the convenience and brevity of description, the specific working processes of the systems, devices and units described above can be based on the corresponding processes in the aforementioned method embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0269] In the several embodiments provided in the present application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are only schematic. For example, the division of the units is only a logical function division. There may be other division methods in actual implementation, such as multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. Another point is that the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be through some interfaces, indirect coupling or communication connection of devices or units, which can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0270] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separated, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed on multiple network units. Some or all of the units may be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the solution of this embodiment.

[0271] In addition, each functional unit in each embodiment of the present application may be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit may exist physically separately, or two or more units may be integrated into one unit.

[0272] In the above embodiments, the functions of each functional unit can be implemented in whole or in part by software, hardware, firmware or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, it can be implemented in whole or in part in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions (programs). When the computer program instructions (programs) are loaded and executed on a computer, the process or function described in the embodiment of the present application is generated in whole or in part. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable devices. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium, for example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from a website site, computer, server or data center by wired (e.g., coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) mode to another website site, computer, server or data center. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server, data center, etc. that contains one or more available media integrated. The available medium may be a magnetic medium (eg, a floppy disk, a hard disk, a magnetic tape), an optical medium (eg, a DVD), or a semiconductor medium (eg, a solid state disk (SSD)).

[0273] If the function is implemented in the form of a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application is essentially or the part that contributes to the prior art or the part of the technical solution can be embodied in the form of a software product, and the computer software product is stored in a storage medium, including a number of instructions to enable a computer device (which can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) to perform all or part of the steps of the method described in each embodiment of the present application. The aforementioned storage medium includes: U disk, mobile hard disk, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), disk or optical disk and other media that can store program code.

[0274] The above is only a specific implementation of the present application, but the protection scope of the present application is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art who is familiar with the present technical field can easily think of changes or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in the present application, which should be included in the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application should be based on the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that: The method comprises: Obtaining a measurement result of a network performance of a non-terrestrial network NTN cell in a sub-area, where the sub-area is a part of an area covered by the NTN cell; Based on the measurement result, a ground network TN corresponding to the sub-area is configured.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The obtaining of the measurement result of the network performance of the non-terrestrial network NTN cell in the sub-area includes: The first management unit measures the network performance of the sub-area to obtain the measurement result.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The obtaining of the measurement result of the network performance of the non-terrestrial network NTN cell in the sub-area also includes: The second management unit receives the measurement result from the first management unit.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that The configuring the ground network TN corresponding to the sub-area based on the measurement result includes: The second management unit determines policy information based on the measurement result, where the policy information is used to configure the TN; The second management unit sends the policy information to the third management unit; The third management unit configures the TN based on the policy information.

5. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that The obtaining of the measurement result of the network performance of the non-terrestrial network NTN cell in the sub-area also includes: The third management unit receives the measurement result from the second management unit; The configuring, based on the measurement result, a ground network TN corresponding to the sub-area includes: The third management unit configures the TN based on the measurement result.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that The measurement result includes one or more of the following: data packet delay, terminal data throughput, number of radio resource control RRC connections, or radio resource usage.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that Before obtaining the measurement result of the network performance of the non-terrestrial network NTN cell in the sub-area, the method further includes: A measurement request is obtained, where the measurement request is used to request to perform the network performance measurement with the sub-area as a measurement range.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that The method further comprises: A mapping relationship between the identification information of the sub-region and the region information of the sub-region is acquired.

9. A communication method, characterized in that: The method comprises: Measuring the network performance of a non-terrestrial network NTN cell in a sub-area to obtain a measurement result, wherein the sub-area is a part of the area covered by the NTN cell; The measurement result is transmitted.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that The measurement result includes one or more of the following: data packet delay, terminal data throughput, number of radio resource control RRC connections, or radio resource usage.

11. The method according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that The method is applied to an element management system EMS for managing an NTN to which the NTN cell belongs.

12. The method according to any one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that Before measuring the network performance of the non-terrestrial network NTN cell in the sub-area, the method further includes: Receive request information, where the request information is used to request to perform the network performance measurement with the sub-area as a measurement range.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that The request information includes a mapping relationship between the identification information of the sub-area and the area information of the sub-area.

14. The method according to any one of claims 9 to 12, characterized in that The method further comprises: Indication information is sent, where the indication information indicates a mapping relationship between the identification information of the sub-region and the region information of the sub-region.

15. A communication method, characterized in that: The method comprises: Receiving a measurement result of a network performance of a non-terrestrial network NTN cell in a sub-area, wherein the sub-area is a part of an area covered by the NTN cell; Based on the measurement result, determining policy information, the policy information being used to configure a ground network TN corresponding to the sub-area; The policy information is sent.

16. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that The measurement result includes one or more of the following: data packet delay, terminal data throughput, number of radio resource control RRC connections, or radio resource usage.

17. The method according to claim 15 or 16, characterized in that Before receiving the measurement result of the network performance of the non-terrestrial network NTN cell in the sub-area, the method further includes: Sending request information, where the request information is used to request to perform the network performance measurement with the sub-area as the measurement range.

18. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that The request information includes a mapping relationship between the identification information of the sub-area and the area information of the sub-area.

19. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 17, characterized in that: The method further comprises: Indication information is received, where the indication information indicates a mapping relationship between the identification information of the sub-region and the region information of the sub-region.

20. A communication method, characterized in that: The method comprises: Measuring the network performance of a non-terrestrial network NTN cell in a sub-area to obtain a measurement result, wherein the sub-area is a part of the area covered by the NTN cell; sending the measurement result; receiving the measurement result; Based on the measurement result, determining policy information, the policy information being used to configure a ground network TN corresponding to the sub-area; The policy information is sent.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein: The method further comprises: Receive request information, where the request information is used to request to perform the network performance measurement with the sub-area as a measurement range.

22. The method according to claim 20 or 21, characterized in that The method further comprises: Sending indication information, where the indication information indicates a mapping relationship between the identification information of the sub-region and the region information of the sub-region; The indication information is received.

23. A communication system, characterized in that: The invention comprises an apparatus for executing the method as claimed in any one of claims 9 to 14 and an apparatus for executing the method as claimed in any one of claims 15 to 19.

24. A communication device, characterized in that: The method comprises means for executing the steps of the method according to any one of claims 9 to 14.

25. A communication device, characterized in that: The method comprises means for executing the steps of the method according to any one of claims 15 to 19.

26. A communication device, characterized in that: It includes a processor, and when the processor executes the program or instruction stored in the memory, the device executes the method as described in any one of claims 9-14 or any one of claims 15-19.

27. A communication device, characterized in that: The method comprises a processor and an interface, wherein the interface is used to send and / or receive signals, so that the processor executes the method according to any one of claims 9 to 14 or any one of claims 15 to 19.

28. A readable storage medium having a computer program or instruction stored thereon, characterized in that: When the computer program or instruction is executed, the computer is caused to perform the method according to any one of claims 9 to 14 or any one of claims 15 to 19.

29. A computer program product, characterized in that The method comprises computer program instructions which cause the computer to execute the method according to any one of claims 9 to 14 or any one of claims 15 to 19.

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